Tag Archives: mill avenue district

Hayden House Tempe, LLC, a partnership between San Diego-based Douglas Wilson Companies (“DWC”) and Hensel Phelps Development LLC, a subsidiary of Hensel Phelps based in Greeley, CO, announced the name of their new mixed-use development project on the corner of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway, One | Hundred | Mill. The project name, which is the actual address for the project (100 S. Mill Ave.) and newly released project renderings were unveiled by the partners during a May 7 meeting with the City of Tempe where the project received unanimous entitlement approvals. Construction on One | Hundred | Mill is expected to begin before year-end with completion expected in 2017.

“As the northern gateway to downtown Tempe on one of the most vibrant intersections in the state, the project at this site needed to be something we can celebrate and it is,” said Mayor Mark Mitchell. “Respecting the historic Hayden House and using this process as an opportunity to revitalize this community asset was key to One | Hundred | Mill’s success. The City of Tempe is excited to see a project that will help advance the downtown into the future, while simultaneously preserving its past.”

One | Hundred | Mill is a $190 million mixed-use creative office, retail and lifestyle-hotel development located on the 2.51 acre parcel widely considered to be the gateway to Tempe’s downtown core. This landmark project consists of two towers: a 15-story 260,000 square foot Class A office building and a 15- story, 240-key boutique hotel along with 17,300 square feet of complimentary restaurants and retail space.

DWC Chairman and CEO Doug Wilson explained, “One | Hundred | Mill has been well received within the market as we are raising the profile of restaurants, hotel rooms and office space in the area. Since this project will be the front door into the Mill Avenue District, we felt using the iconic address as the projects name emphasized the commitment to celebrating Tempe and everything it has to offer.”

In addition to DWC and Hensel Phelps Development, the project team for One | Hundred | Mill includes contractor Hensel Phelps, Shears Adkins & Rockmore Architects, the office leasing team of Jerry Noble, Patrick Devine and Greg Mayer with Cushman & Wakefield and the retail leasing team of Brent Moser and Rhonda Diaz Caldewey with DTZ Retail.

The offices at One | Hundred | Mill begin on floor eight (8) and offer abundant natural light and sweeping views of Tempe and Metro Phoenix with extensive glass lines wrap the building. Large, flexible 31,500 RSF floorplates with 10 foot finished ceilings provide the ultimate in modern work space, designed to accommodate today’s work style with amble spaces dedicated for collaboration, socialization and productivity.

“The office market is in transition. New standards in design are transforming the way people work and the demand for walkable, urban settings is undeniable. Not surprisingly, One | Hundred | Mill is being very well received in the marketplace,” according to Patrick Devine, Senior Director, Cushman & Wakefield.

One | Hundred | Mill offers ground floor retail and restaurant spaces in both towers and the unique 10,000 square foot restaurant space in the historic Hayden House (former Monti’s La Casa Vieja). Hayden House is being repurposed to create a one-of-a-kind indoor/outdoor dining destination that preserves and honors all of the historic aspects of the building while redeveloping it into a new and exciting destination along Mill Avenue. The Office Café space is a 1,000 square foot restaurant opportunity on the ground floor of the office building. Two retail components are available for boutiques and specialty shop space, the 2,400 square foot Mill Avenue Retail space on the ground floor of the hotel tower and the 3,900 square foot Rio Salado Retail space on the ground floor of the office tower, which can be further expanded with an optional mezzanine.

“We’re honored to be working with the Douglas Wilson Companies and Hensel Phelps to help bring the next great Arizona dining icon to One | Hundred | Mill in what will be the signature component, Hayden House, Arizona’s longest continually occupied structure. We’ll be taking a step forward for mixed-use development in Tempe while preserving a vital piece of heritage and legacy,” according to Brent Mallonee, Vice President, DTZ Retail.

The 240-room boutique hotel includes a rooftop pool, fine dining restaurant and 12,000 square feet of conference facilities shared with One | Hundred | Mill’s office tenants. Combining luxury, style and world- class service, the hotel will bring a whole new world of ultra-modern accommodations to Downtown Tempe.

“The community outreach while concurrently working with the City of Tempe has been an enjoyable process for us,” said Nicholas Wilson, Managing Director of DWC. “The commitment of the residents and businesses in Tempe validates why tech companies, professional firms, restaurateurs and individuals alike are attracted to Mill Avenue to live, work and play. We are very excited to be a part of continuing the renaissance for which Tempe is experiencing.”

One | Hundred | Mill is located less than a block from the METRO Light Rail system and the 3rd Street and Mill Avenue station and across the street from Tempe Beach Park and Tempe Town Lake. The development will be a stand-out project in downtown Tempe which has become a magnet for innovative businesses and retailers because of its central location within the Valley and its close proximity to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and Arizona State University.

McDowell Mountain Music Festival
Arizona’s only nonprofit music festival returns this weekend. Performers for this year’s show include Passion Pit, Portugal. The Man, Thievery Corporation, Widespread Panic and more. The profits from the show go on to benefit Phoenix Children’s Hospital and UMOM New Day Centers. In addition to diverse music on the main and local stages, the three-day festival will offer food and beverage via food trucks. Festival attendees also have the option of upgrading to VIP experiences as well as purchasing camping spaces. Tickets for the event can be purchased by visiting mmmf.com.Margaret T. Hance Park, 1202 N. Third St., Phoenix, March 27-29, $60+

Phoenix Bike Festival
The 2015 Phoenix Bike Fest will take over Westgate for three days. Event attendees will have the chance to try out a variety of bikes from Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki. The event will also hold performances by Dead or Alive and TNT. There will also be MMA fights. More than 50 bike related vendors will be on hand for the event. This event welcomes spectators and bike enthusiasts alike.Westgate Entertainment District, 6770 N. Sunrise Blvd., March 26-28, Free

Phoenix Film Festival
Arizona’s largest film returns for it’s 15th year. The festival screens over 150 films on 7 screens in the theatre. The event initially began as an opportunity for independent films to be showcased. Categories include Horror, Sci-Fi, Shorts, and more. The festival will also host events and seminars for filmmakers of any level. Fans will have the chance to participate in Q&A sessions with producers, talent, and directors as well. Movie attendees have the option to purchase single tickets or bulk packages.Harkins Scottsdale 101, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, March 26- April 2, $13+

Romeo and Juliet
Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? The classic Shakespearean tragedy comes to the Herberger Theater in downtown Phoenix. Presented by the Arizona Theatre Company, this story of betrayal features the famous feud of the Capulets and Montagues. Director Kirsten Brandt and designer David Lee Cuthbert offer a fresh taste on an old favorite.Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix, March 26-April 12, $36+

Tempe Spring Festival of the Arts
Almost 400 artists will take over Mill Avenue to showcase their work in 16 different mediums. The spring festival attracts close to 225,000 visitors to the three-day event. The committee for the event awards cash prizes to the overall top artist as well as the top artist in each category. Sunshine Art Magazine ranks the festival in their Top 200 art festivals. The event will feature live entertainment, street performers. The Tempe Festival of Arts gives a portion of the proceeds to local Tempe charities that assist with the event.Mill Avenue District, 281 S. Mill Ave., Tempe, March 27-29, Free

ABI Multifamily, a dedicated multifamily brokerage and advisory services firm, is pleased to announce the $7,000,000 sale of Dolce Villagio Townhomes, located in Tempe, AZ. The complete townhome community consists of 37 individually parceled units that were built in 2007 and are currently operating as luxury apartment rentals. The $7,000,000 purchase price reflects a price of $189,189 per Unit and $132.97 per Square Foot.

The Arizona based Developer/Seller of the project originally intended to sell-off the townhome units to individual Buyers. However, upon delivery in 2007, the condo market was dissipating and the Seller made the decision to turn the community into luxury townhome rentals. “Keeping the community intact and turning the townhomes into rentals was a choice that was largely dictated by the declining conditions of the for-sale market in 2007. Nonetheless, the North Tempe rental market has accelerated a great deal since the property was built as average rents have increased nearly 35%. The Developer was able to capitalize on this and ultimately sell Dolce Villagio at a price similar to other complete Class ‘A’ luxury apartment community transactions in the Tempe area.” according to Eddie Chang, Partner at ABI Multifamily.

The purchase is the second transaction in recent months brokered by ABI Multifamily on behalf of the Buyer, Western Wealth Capital, based out of Vancouver, Canada. “The Buyer was attracted to several components of the deal, including the opportunity to raise rents through renovations, the possible exit strategy of selling-off individual townhomes, and the many recent large-scale development projects in the immediate surrounding area.” stated Doug Lazovick, partner at ABI Multifamily.

Dolce Villagio was constructed with high-end townhome grade finishes, including granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, marble showers (in the master baths), tiled floors and washers/dryers. Each unit is a walk-up three story townhome with a direct access 2 car garage and a large average unit size of over 1,400 square feet. The property consists of 19 Two Bedroom and 18 Three Bedroom unit types, of which all include a private enclosed backyard, as well as a bonus room.

The property is located just west of the Mill Avenue District and Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. The immediate area has seen major economic and infrastructure capital injections recently, most notably Marina Heights, Liberty Center at Rio Salado and the Phoenix Metro Light Rail. The five-building, 20 acre Marina Heights is the largest single development in Arizona history. Upon build-out, the $600 million State-Farm Campus will have 2 million square feet of mixed-use development and host up to 8,000 new jobs. The Liberty Center at Rio Salado is planned for over 1,000,000 square feet of high-performance office, flex and industrial space and will be the home of DriveTime Automotive Group’s corporate headquarters. Metro Light Rail – with costs of approximately $1.4 billion for the initial 20 mile track – maintains a station less than a mile from Dolce Villagio, providing residents with easy access to the entire Phoenix Valley.

Park for Free, Ride for Free from Downtown Tempe to Angels Spring Training

The Mill Avenue District is proud to announce the return of the Angels Spring Training Trolley, a free and fun ride connecting Downtown Tempe to all Angels home games at Diablo Stadium.

Beginning tomorrow, February 23 and continuing through March 27 (on home game days), two Spring Training Trollies will circulate between the Mill Avenue District and Tempe Diablo Stadium with pick-ups every 20 minutes.

Trolley service will begin 2 hours before game time and conclude 30 minutes after the game ends.

Fans can board the trolley at the Mill Avenue Trolley Stop located on the northwest corner of Mill Avenue and 5th Street (in front of Lotions & Potions). The trolley will deliver riders to the Tempe Diablo Stadium Stop located less than one block south of the ballpark’s main entrance.

Riders can park for free at several of Downtown Tempe Park-iT locations including:

City Hall Garage (5th Street, just east of City Hall)

Centerpoint Surface Lot (5th Street and Maple Avenue)

Hayden Station Garage (enter either 3rd Street, just west of Mill or Maple Avenue ,north of 5th Street)

All parking locations are conveniently located within walking distance of the trolley stop and Mill Avenue District amenities. Parking validations will be provided on the trolley.

The Mill Avenue Light Rail Station is also within two blocks of the trolley stop, giving another easy method of transportation for fans.

The Mill Avenue District in Downtown Tempe offers over 100 restaurants, bars, retail shops, and entertainment options within the Valley’s only true walkable urban district. Baseball fans are invited to continue the pre- and post-game fun by experiencing all that Downtown Tempe has to offer.

Detailed Spring Training Trolley information, full parking details and maps, and a complete schedule of games can be found at www.millavenue.com/angels.

Allstate Insurance Company has signed a lease as a new office tenant in the Tempe Gateway building in the Mill Avenue District, Vulcan Real Estate announced today.

Allstate’s lease is for 66,000 SF of office space, making it one of the largest leases signed in the market this year. Allstate is expected to open their new Tempe offices in September 2012.

The eight-story, 260,000 SF Tempe Gateway building will provide Allstate with a prime location and modern amenities. Tempe Gateway was purchased by Vulcan Real Estate in June 2010 as the company’s first investment outside the Seattle market. The building’s location provides easy access for people from all over the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area with close proximity to major freeways and a light rail stop adjacent to the property.

“We are really pleased to welcome Allstate as our newest tenant and we expect their staff will find the location ideal, with easy access to transportation, shopping, and a great local community,” said Robert S. Arron, senior director of real estate marketing and leasing at Vulcan Inc.

Allstate’s new lease brings occupancy at Tempe Gateway up to 64%, further highlighting the growing strength of the office real estate market in the Tempe-Phoenix region.

Other downtown Tempe buildings are also faring well.

Hayden Ferry Lakeside is at 94% occupancy;

Papago Gateway Center is approximately 80% leased;

Centerpoint on Mill has converted existing second floor retail into office space to take advantage of the market;

Tempe’s vacancy rate for business space is lower than neighboring cities Phoenix and Chandler;

Mill Avenue has added 48 new retail businesses since 2009 that are open and thriving – the vacancy rate has gone from 32.4% in April 2009 to about 20.5%.

“We’d like to say that Allstate is in good hands here in Tempe,” Mayor Hugh Hallman said. “We welcome them to our community and look forward to their presence here.”

Allstate will join current Tempe Gateway tenants Limelight Networks (a 2012 RED Award winner), Parsons and Waste Management, who occupy a combined 100,000 SF. Trisports.com, a longtime retailer of triathlon, swimming, biking, and running gear, has also leased space at Tempe Gateway for their newest retail location, and will open their doors in June, 2012. Vulcan is in discussions with several other prospective tenants to lease the remaining office and retail space currently available in the building.

On March 30th, 2012, the popular Tempe Festival of the Arts will return to the Mill Avenue District.

A bi-annual event, the festival typically draws in more than 225,000 visitors over a three-day period. The Tempe Festival of the Arts, which is considered to be one of the top art festivals in the country, is famous for attracting an abundance of talented artists from across the nation.

In addition to selling their works, some of the top artists compete in judging competitions in categories such as metalwork, glass, leather, painting, photography, sculpture, woodwork and even wearable art. More than 400 artists will be selling their works at the festival this year.

The Tempe Festival of the Arts will also feature plenty of activities for attendees of all ages. Adults can check out the exhibits for the Arizona Wine Festival and the Art of Beer microbrewery, both of which will offer free samples and sales. Families will be able to make their own arts and crafts at the Kids Innovation Station.

Numerous entertainment acts will perform throughout the weekend, including Traveler, Chicks with Picks, and Jazz Alive. Hungry visitors will be able to buy snacks, such as kettle corn or caramel apples, from street vendors, or grab a meal at one of the many restaurants located on the Mill Avenue District.

The spring Tempe Festival of the Arts will be held from March 30th to April 1st. Admission is free, and dogs are welcome, provided they are well-behaved and on a leash. During the festival, Mill Avenue will be closed between University Drive and 3rd Street.

[stextbox id=”alert” bwidth=”1″ bcolor=”000000″ bgcolor=”eaeaea” image=”null”]For information about transportation and parking, please click here. A portion of the proceeds will go to support local Tempe charities.[/stextbox]

Colors, shapes, big and small, perfect weather on a beautiful day — I couldn’t ask for much more! Once again I found myself on Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe, Ariz.

This time however, I was not there for dancing, food or drinks. I was there for the 2011 Tempe Festival of the Arts, which was held Dec. 2-4.

The entire main strip of Mill Avenue was packed with tents that were filled with all sorts of artists and their work. With items ranging from photography to sculpture, and cellphones to clothing, there was something for everyone!

The majority of the tents were lined up in the middle of the street facing the sidewalk. Some artists stayed diligently in their space with their work close by, while others roamed around talking to fellow art enthusiasts setting up their work in the immediate area.

I was taken back by the almost overwhelming amount of objects in all shapes, colors and sizes. It was a feast for the eyes, and I wanted to stop and look at everything. Every step I took, a new discovery was in my line of sight.

I enjoyed the contrast of seeing all of the small white tents that would only be there for a few days, surrounded by the buildings of Mill Avenue that have been standing for many years.

I was happy to see that local artists were getting a chance to showcase and sell their work away from all of the warehouse retail stores. This little stretch of culture lent itself perfectly to the festival, almost as if this was how Mill Ave. was meant to be.

Spirits were high as a never ending surge of art supporters made their way from one end of the festival to the other, keeping their heads on a swivel for anything that might catch their eye.